WEST BANK (Dispatches) – The Zionist regime will reject any normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia if it requires the creation of a Palestinian state, the occupying regime’s finance minister Bezalel Smotrich says.
Speaking to Bloomberg, the extreme far-right minister said: “If that’s a deal-breaker, the deal will sink.”
Last year, Tel Aviv and Riyadh had been deeply involved in talks to normalize relations, in a process backed by Washington and hailed as a potential massive shift in the region.
Following numerous delays and disagreements, however, the talks finally fell through after the Zionist regime launched a renewed campaign of bombardment on Gaza and a military invasion of the besieged Strip, which has been described as a genocide by Amnesty International.
Smotrich told Bloomberg that he believes the incoming Trump administration “understands the obligation to ensure the future existence of Israel” by rejecting the so-called two-state solution.
Smotrich and prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu oppose strengthening the PA, equating it to Hamas. Instead, Netanyahu has suggested that Arab countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE could help administer Gaza post-war. However, regional nations have consistently refused to participate in Gaza’s reconstruction or governance without the PA’s involvement.
Smotrich also urged the regime to take “control” of the Gaza Strip and adopt an “offensive” approach in the occupied West Bank to expand illegal settlements and block the creation of a Palestinian state.
Smotrich in his latest remarks during a meeting of the extremist Religious Zionist Party (RZP) on Monday said that following the recent collapse of the Syrian government, the Zionist regime is looking forward to achieving its goal of destroying Hamas and occupying Gaza.
Pointing to the recent developments in Syria, he claimed that the Israeli regime has made significant progress and is close to achieving its primary objective, calling for a push towards a definitive victory.
Smotrich also expressed his opposition to any ceasefire agreement with Palestinian resistance group Hamas, even if such a deal could result in the release of some captives currently held in Gaza.
“Instead of discussing partial deals that leave many captives behind, compromise the war’s achievements, and diminish the chance of victory, we must press forward. We must stop fearing our own shadows and do what is necessary,” he said.